News

According to preliminary information, as a result of a special operation in Nalchik, held on Friday night, from three to five members of the illegal armed formations (IAFs) were killed. This is reported by law enforcement sources of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR).

The defence of journalist Parviz Gashimli, who is accused of smuggling and illegal arms trade, has filed a motion to conduct a fingerprint examination in the case. In addition, the defence has asked the court to send to Russia a request concerning weapons, which, according to investigators, Parviz Gashimli wanted to sell.

Valery Sushkevich, President of the Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, has refused to take part in the reception of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi. Valery Sushkevich's initiative has been supported by the heads of Paralympic committees of Germany, Austria, Norway and other countries.

Five natives of Dagestan, who were detained on March 9 at the Makhachkala Airport after they had returned from Egypt, are suspected of involvement in illegal armed formations (IAFs) in Syria. This was reported by a source in the Khasavyurt ROVD (District Interior Division).

Residents of the village of Novosasitli of the Khasavyurt District of Dagestan have filed to the Khasavyurt administration a notification of a picket. On March 17, the villagers intend to hold the picket against unlawful, in their opinion, actions of the district policemen against them.

The Russian authorities' struggle for Crimea will be more rational than the one for Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the force will not be used. This was stated by Sergey Markedonov, Associate Professor of the Russian State University for the Humanities.

On March 12, in Grozny, a group of residents of Chechnya, whose relatives were kidnapped and disappeared during the period of hostilities, received their genetic passports. In the coming months, similar genetic passport will be issued to other 400 persons. This was reported by the Chechen Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).

After hours of questioning, journalists of the Ukrainian "1+1" TV Channel Natalka Pisnya, a correspondent of the news service (TSN), and Sergey Kiselyov, a cameraman, were deported from Abkhazia. This was reported by Sergey Popov, the head of the TSN.

In the Dagestani city of Khasavyurt, two residents of Chechnya have been detained, who are suspected of plotting the attempt on Saigidpasha Umakhanov, City Mayor. This was reported by the "Izvestia" with reference to anonymous source in the law enforcement agencies.

On March 12, at the session of the Moscow City Court, prosecutors finish presenting evidence against the defendants accused in the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

In the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), the initiative group has sent an open appeal to Yuri Kokov, the leader of the republic, asking to organize education and training for children in pre-school educational institutions and primary schools in their native languages.

Last year, 173 out of 408 solved terror crimes were ascribed to assassinated militants, said Yuri Chaika, the Russian General Public Prosecutor, who emphasized that in total, in 2013, Northern Caucasus saw 579 terror crimes, including nine terror acts.

The Krasnodar Territorial Court has upheld the fine of 10,000 roubles imposed on the 75-year-old Lydia Lepsveridze for her picket held near Putin's residence.

In Prague, the closing ceremony of one of the major documentary film festivals on human rights "One World" took place. Russia was presented by a documentary about a Chechen guy "Zelim's Confessions".

A road train with 80 tons of humanitarian aid, collected in Dagestan for residents of the Crimea, has arrived to the peninsula, said the press service of the Ministry for National Policy of Dagestan.

In order to make the ski resort "Roza Khutor" in Sochi an all-season public tourist centre, it is necessary to further invest about 4.5 billion roubles, said Vladimir Potanin, the head of the "Interros" Company.

Movsar Kuntalov, the administration head of the Achkhoy-Martan village of the Chechen Republic is suspected of illegal transfer of agricultural land into the category of residential land with subsequent delivery of the land to individuals, the republic's prosecutor's office reports.

A rally under the motto "Return power to people!" held on March 10 in the village of Khuchni, Tabasaran District of Dagestan, was attended by about 200 people, who demanded to change local power and open criminal cases on embezzlement of funds of the district budget.

After their return to Baku, Gyulyaga Aslanly, the deputy head of the "Musavat" Party, Arif Gadjily, the head of the party's office, and Emil Salamoglu, a correspondent of the newspaper "Eni Musavat", who had been detained on March 10 in Makhachkala by Russian policemen, have declared the illegality of their detention.

The NATO is grouping its troops around Ukraine to support the invasion of the Ukrainian Army into the Crimea after the referendum scheduled for March 16, said Konstantin Sivkov, the vice-president of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems.